Train your brain

I think alot of us tend to focus on the physical demands of Crossfit, and give little, to no respect to the mental. Such blatant disregard to training our brain in unison with our body is a mistake that will break you. Every action that we perform begins with the brain...it's our hardrive, that without, we would be helpless. And much like a hardrive, if you don't take care of it, it will develop a virus, and it will crash. I consider myself an analytical person, I like to understand the mechanics of moving, why we do the things we do, how can I break down a movement to its simplest form and understand the basics before taking on the whole. By doing this, it allows me to avoid getting overwhelmed by the complexity of things. I have come to realize that there are cues that coaches tend to give that will cause our brain to spark, to cause things to start to fall into place. "Open those hips" , "Keep the core tight", "Push that head through", "Tight Back"...you hear them all of the time, but do you really hear them? Do they mean anything to you? Ask yourself this, because the cues don't work for everyone. In my quest for my first muscle up, I was constantly given the following cue...."Its like a chest to bar, followed by a huge, strong, fast, situp." Sounds simple enough, right? Maybe for some, but it never clicked. It wasn't until I broke down the movement to a kipping pullup, followed by a box jump movement with the knees, that I finally got it. Now, that previous sentence might not have made any sense to you whatsoever, but it clicked for me, almost immediately. So what I am getting at is, if a movement is not making sense to you, take a step back. Break it down to its basic componenents, and work on those individual components. Understand why you have to open your hips on the snatch, or why we keep our core tight on the strict press. If a cue does not make sense, ask for another one. Our brains function in different ways, want a different cue?....take the time seek one. The path from point A to point B can be a windy road, or a straight shot. Sometimes it is not always about the heavily traveled route, it is about taking the route that gets YOU there.

Post Games Path of Motivation

I, like many of you was glued to my T.V. this whole weekend, leaderboarding, analyzing, and cheering on the competitors at the Crossfit Games. It was a really exciting year, from the open, to regionals, to the games, a road that I followed more closely than I have in the past. I familiarized myself with a lot of these competitors, understood their training regimen, their background, hell, I even worked out alongside one of the competitors this past year. I can tell you that this is both motivating and defeating at the same time. I came to realize very quickly that 90% of these people aren't just a group of guys or girls that decided one day in their late 20's - 30's to give Crossfit a shot. These are not the people whose last workout was in the High School weight room. These are former Division 1 athletes, Navy Seals, Olympic lifters, Gymnasts...It kind of makes that little glimmer of hope that "maybe I could do that one day" get a little dimmer. And I am not saying that me or anyone I know can have a chance to make it to the Crossfit Games one day, but I know that with the end of the Games comes a lot of new motivation. Motivation can be awesome, and sometimes dangerous. I come away each year after watching the Crossfit Games with a new spark, new goals, etc. This is a great feeling. But, often times I see those that come away with the attitiude of flipping their life around 180 on Monday. Their diet is 100% strict, their training regimen is 6 days a week....and this feverish pace will lead to nothing but dissapoinment, and injury. Now obviously, this blog post is not for everyone. There are some of you reading this that just like to get a good workout, and I can't stress enough how great that is. But for those of you that take Crossfit a little more seriously, let me lend you a little advice. If you were one of the people on the edge of your seat after each Games workout, saying "I want to do that one" or if you were the person, that said "I can't wait til Monday" this is for you.....Keep that spark alive, if you use it correctly, it can lead to great things, but focus on the goal, and understand the looooooong path to get there. You want to train to go to the Games one day? Great, but put it into perspective, watch a video titled "a day in the life of Rich Froning", it is quite eye opening. His job is to workout, he does it 5 times a day.......everyday...he doesn't complain about wall balls, he doesn't skip stretching, he works on weaknesses, he doesn't look in advance at the wod to decide if he is coming. What I am getting at is this, use your Games motivation as a way to eat a little better, use it to learn more about Crossfit, to understand the mechanics of the movements, use it as a way to come on the day that you normally would have skipped, use it as a way to swallow your pride, go down in weight and focus on your form, use it as a way to develop habits, identify and work on weaknesses. I am using it for all of these as well as a way to motiviate me to do better in the Open next year, as well as a big change that is to come. We will see where it goes from there, but I am starting today with new motivation, and I will make sure to use it wisely.

SUNday

As a crossfitter, my fitness regime revolves around the box. Kettlebells, olympic lifts, rowing machines, pullups, etc. One Sunday morning, recently, I began my drive to the gym, a drive I make each and everyday, 7 days a week. Just as I was pulling up to the front doors, I realized, I didn't want to be there. Now don't get me wrong, there are plenty of days I am not feeling like working out, but this was different. On this particular day I didn't want the box that I was so comfortable working out in. I was craving a new landscape, no clocks, no chalk. I called an audible that day, and we ventured to the Barton GreenBelt for some hiking. It felt great to break out of the monotony of our routine. The following Sunday, I did the same....same feeling, new landscape. Stand up Paddle boarding it was.. A beautiful day on Town Lake, Sun, and the Austin skyline made for a wonderful afternoon. I think I might continue this little trend each weekend. Ill take a SUNday if you will....see what I did there.....I encourage you to find time for your own SUNday. It can be as simple as traveling to a neighboring town, parking your car, and running. No direction in particular just explore. I traveled to New Orleans this past week and did exactly that. My wife and I woke up early one morning and ran along the Mississippi River and the sprawling cityscape that made for a great 2 hour adventure. We have access to a beautiful city a mere 30 minutes away filled with tons of things to do that keep you active, and give you new experiences that can be the catalyst for new inspiration, new drive! It's good to switch up the routine, it is sort of a reset button that needs to be pushed every now and then. There is a lot of life out there to taste!

The Freedom of the Ground to Overhead

So I am on the road again today. Flew into Tulsa, drove to Northwest Arkansas, hit an awesome box - Crossfit NWA, worked, coffee, food, slept, drove to Wichita, hit another awesome box - Crossfit Wichita, worked, and now I am sitting in my hotel, cheap hotel coffee brewing. The humming of the air conditioner, and the otherwise silent room allowed me some time to think. At the workout this afternoon I had an epiphany. The workout was as follows:
Every Minute on the Minute:
1 ground to overhead @ 155
2 40inch box jumps
3 strict pullups
This workout included a bunch of other things like a Front Squat Strength wod, and a few other small things, but my focus was on the Ground to overheads. As the trainer was reviewing the workout, he mentioned the various ways of going about the Ground to overhead movement, being the obvious clean and jerk, or push press, as well as snatch, and squat clean thruster. Without hesitation, I blew off the last two..Who in the hell is going to do that? I went through the workout, push jerking each time..finishing with plenty of time to spare. Plenty of time to see several people with 115, and 135 loaded on the bar....guys that could easily clean and jerk the 155....the type of guys that show up to the box shirtless....you know what I am talking about. These guys for whatever reason decided that their snatch needed some work, so they worked on it. They didn't care that the RX wasn't going to be written next to their name, rather they identified an opportunity to work on a weakness, which is what the "ground to overhead" movement allows you to do. I feel as though alot of times we are more concerned with efficiency and times, rather than what we originally joined this box to do...work on weakness. So the next time you see Ground to Overhead in a workout, look at it as an opportunity, an opportunity to work on the various ways to transfer that weight from one location to another.
Now a quick caveat to that.....Ground to overhead, affords us the luxury of choice, choosing to alter a workout on your own is something that I don't recommend. The workouts are written a certain way for a reason. Scaling is important if needed, however altering a movement on your own ,easier or more difficult ,without the approval of a trainer is not your call. Remember that you joined your box.., and this is a Crossfit box. We do burpees together, we row together, we run together. You're injured, let your trainer know, they will find an alternative for you. Try to keep in mind that "I don't feel like doing that today" is a dangerous declaration. I have seen instances where burpees are met with "Nope, not today" not for any reason in particular, just because the person doesn't feel like doing the movement. Well,  guess what, this isn't Anytime Fitness, this isn't Golds Gym.  Picking and choosing is not what we do. A lot of thought is put into programming workouts, deciding one day that you don't want to partake is perfectly fine, but opting out of a portion of today's programming will lead to opting out more and more. You pay alot for Crossfit, and the reason it is so expensive is the amount of time and effort that the trainers put into it everyday. The care, attention, community, and programming are what makes it work. You trust in it, it's not going to fail you.

"Me Time" is soul food, eat some everyday

Well its been a while! I took a week off from the blog updates, because, well, to be honest, nothing has hit me. No explosion went off in my head that caused me to immediately dash to my computer to spill my thoughts onto my keyboard. And today, honestly, that is still the case, but I feel as though it is important. It is important for me to find an outlet to empty my head. I have found that over the past few weeks of doing this (blog) I have become much more clear, more focused on what is happening in my life, and with my goals that I set for myself. I encourage you to do the same, it doesn't have to be a public forum such as this, but find an outlet. One of my outlets is the gym, I can go there each day and be around people I care about and push through a workout and sweat my brain dry,  it is an hour where you can get out of your head in a way. I feel that we all need some time each day devoted to doing this. An hour or so, where we don't care what's happening with our job, an hour where facebook is on hold, and yes, even an hour where we are not concerned with the kids, the dinner, the daily stress of the day. Yoga, meditation, crossfit, or blog, make it a goal this week to find something, or take something that you are currently doing, and make your goal to use it more effectively. Clear your mind of everything before you walk through those doors at the gym tomorrow. Take a few deep breaths, and for an hour or so, focus on yourself, do not feel guilty for doing it, everyone has to have that "me time" because without it your body, your mind, your soul will start to suffer.

In other news, I turned 33, I hurt my wrist doing hand stand pushups, and I am pissed about it, I made a transition to extra short lulu surge shorts, which are boss (sky's out thighs out) , I got an awesome weight vest from unbroken designs, and have been working on muscle ups with it, as well as running.

 I have continued to follow The Outlaw Way each day, and well as participate in the daily wod at our box, when possible. I have grown to love this hot summer and have been having good days. I think finding that "me" time has helped with that. So find some. Care a little less about what others think of you, and more about how you feel about yourself......it is life changing.

Your hand in mine

(Preface: I enjoy writing, it can be about any number of things, and a lot of times it's whatever strikes me when I am listening to music, which is where I tend to find a lot of inspiration. As I wrote this blog update, I was listening to the following. Feel free to do the same.

Well it is another year in the books for the Garage Gym Throwdown, which is presented by Relentless Bootcamps, and Crossfit Central. This is my 3rd year competing and definitely my favorite, because I joined forces with my beautiful wife. This was a calculated decision because domestically we click, we work well together, and enjoy doing it, but in the depths of competition.....well, that might be another story. Nevertheless, we decided to give it a go and I can honestly say it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. That might sound a little dramatic to some, but for me it was nothing short of an amazing experience.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, my wife suffers from the auto immune disease Lupus, a disease in which her body will attack itself, causing a variety of problems one can imagine. Extreme daily fatigue, aching joints, and the constant threat of much more extreme problems that I don't care to get into. Bottom line, my wife got dealt one really shitty card in a deck full of aces as far as I can see. She's a beautiful and smart woman, who is goal minded, with three gorgeous healthy children, and we can't forget about me....right? (I know, I know, she hit the jackpot....)

She found Crossfit and it has been something that has completely changed her life. She has put in a ton of time listening and modifying the routine that she had fallen into. A routine that was slowly killing her, but with dedication she has found new life. From learning... to teaching she has overcome a lot and become a Level 1 Certified Trainer, an accomplishment that I brag about regularly.

More importantly, however, she has become such as strong person, both physically and emotionally. She was the first one of us to decide she was tired of who she was becoming and begin to make a change..... A life change.She is my inspiration and has been for some time. I owe so much to her for where I have come over the past couple of years, and look forward to sharing these new experiences with her. Experiences that are now including an elimination of gluten completely, a new home, we even decided to give THE OUTLAW WAY a shot for while. (more on that to come)....but most importantly we are conscious of that Old Maid in the deck, we strategize to work around it each day. It's in there, and that is not going to change, you just have to play the cards you are dealt. And together we are going to play the shit out of them. I think that in life, everyone is faced with a couple of cards they don't really care for, you just have to remember that hiding them in your hand will not make them go away, you have to face them. You can chose to relate this to Crossfit or Life, because for my wife and I, they apply to both regularly....and I can tell you this, we don't fold.

And in case you are curious to know how we did in the comp, you can see in the pic above that I am carrying her, but in the competition itself I felt like she was carrying me the whole way.

Stoke the Fire

Well it has been an eventful week. I visited the 2013 Crossfit SouthCentral Regionals this past weekend, which is always inspiring.

For those of your that have not been before, I recommend you check it out at least once. I have never gone and come away without some sort of new drive or inspiration to get better at this sport. Inspiration is key to getting better at anything. It doesn't always find you, sometimes you have to seek it. I encourage everyone that reads my posts to find inspiration each day for something.. Be it your job, your family, or Crossfit....find inspiration and keep the fire alive because fires die out, unless you stoke them!

I often find myself questioning whether or not I take the sport of Crossfit too seriously. I put a lot of time and effort into learning new information, sharing it, and living it. I was recently told by someone that they respected me because I practiced what I preached. That was one of the greatest compliments I have received in a long time because I strive everyday to do just that. It is hard to teach that which you don't practice, and of course actions speak louder than words. I feel as though sometimes we all get caught up too much in learning, and skip the whole practicing part. And I am no different...I put the cart before the horse often times, but I am getting better. I used to preach the importance of nutrition, and eat poorly....I used to yell the words "knees out" to others while lifting, and buckle mine when under a heavy squat... I can recognize my faults...and I have began correcting them. I have found myself tightening up my nutrition regimen, I have gone down in weights and put a strong focus on form, and of course I seek my inspiration each and every day. I find it hard to wait for it.

Memorial Day was an inspiring day for me. As with every year since I began Crossfit, I took on the Hero WOD MURPH:
1 Mile Run, 100 pullups, 200 Pushups, 300 Squats, 1 Mile run
I opted for the 20 lb vest this time, and it was an experience....almost spiritual. I pushed my body to a great deal of fatigue to the tune of 54 min and 08 seconds. I know what this workout represents, and I am not about to try to put it into words in this post....But what I saw on that day was a group of individuals, some from our gym, some from others, come together to embrace this day and do something that they never believed that they could do. They took on this workout with determination and fought until the very end. For some, a month ago, asking them to run a 400 was a chore, and yet today the 400 is a cool down.
I guess you can find inspiration in a lot of different arenas, from Crossfit Regionals, to my box on Memorial Day, or any other day for that matter, you can find a spark, and if you stoke it just right it will be come a roaring fire. Go out today and find it.

No supplement will replace diet

I don't like to beat a dead horse when it comes to talking about nutrition. First off, I am not a nutritionist. I have a moderate idea of what is good to put into my body, and what to avoid. I have tried different things, and listened to a variety of different people and have modified my diet to follow a primarily Paleo principle. I eat lean meats, vegetables, and nuts, I avoid gluten etc...I realized quickly that the lack of carbohydrates did not provide me with the energy to push through the day, so I added some carbs to my diet, aside from the veggies. I added a moderate Protein Weight Gainer, that has a low amount of sugar, and a decent amount of carbs and protein. I want to build muscle, and have found this to be the best thing for me. I also take BCAA powder with plenty of glutamine, that assists with decreasing muscle fatigue, speeding up recovery and lean muscle building. Fish Oil and Multi Vitamins round out my daily routine.  Now is this the best combination a person can take into their body? I am not sure..but it works for me, I notice results, and I have never felt better. I see little to no negative effects, so I stick with that until something changes my mind. I see the ads for the expensive supplements, mainly protein, and so far, my opinion on this is as follows:
I began Crossfit three years ago, upon joining I saw people consuming a drink out of a shaker immediately following their workout. I inquired what this elixir was, and found out about the benefits of taking protein supplements. I ventured to my local supplement store and was quickly sold on "their best protein ever" a whopping $70. Surely this would get me jacked in no time. Guess what....no dice. I felt better after workouts, that goes without question. The benefit of taking protein immediately following a workout is proven, and I stick by it. But $70?? Do I need this high grade supplement for what I am doing? I found out soon enough that there are different qualities of protein, that is for sure, but I am not training for the Olympics. I just need to get something in my body so that it does not feed on my muscle after a workout.  I see so many people put so much thought into buying the expensive protein. " Oh I would never buy that cheap stuff...not for my body", yet these are the same people that will throw down a case of beer on the weekend, the same people that eat fast food here and there. That one cheeseburger you had at Mcdonalds or 32oz Dos Equis, as a "cheat day" is worse for you than consuming an entire 4 lb container of that "cheap protein". Keep that in mind. There is no need to put race fuel in a 2006 Toyota Camry that you won't even change the oil on.  I feel as though people look at supplements as an easy road, a magic pill or powder that will make everything easier....and they might for a little while.......but I am not happy with a little while.
My point is, diet is paramount before anything. Focus on eating right, once you have that down, then look to higher quality supplements. Take your vitamins, take your fish oil, and get some sun every now and then.

The dreaded funk...and I am not talking about your Reeboks

It happens over and over again, it can last for a week, it can last for a couple of days, but everyone will miss their visit with the motivation fairy. I can't explain it, and it angers me each time it happens, but I go through phases where I am just not into it...not into the workout, tired, don't feel like going, etc. What is the deal?...I am taking rest days, eating right, why all of the sudden is my mojo gone?
   Well, I don't have an answer for you, plain and simple. What I do know, is that this happens every now and then, it comes and goes, and can be attributed to any number of factors that go into your daily routine. You can only control so much...remember that. The key to succeeding is finding your way around the road bocks, managing the wrenches that get thrown into your routine. ("If you can dodge a wrench...you can dodge a ball".......anyone? anyone?) What I have found is that, for me, staying in my routine gets me through it. I keep coming, keep taking my normal rest days, but I have found that by doing this, "the funk" goes by much quicker. Being around the excitement of others in the gym is intoxicating, and contagious. I find ways of motivating myself. I set new goals. I achieve them, and thus the cycle begins again. I accept that not every day is going to be exciting, you have to enjoy some cloudy days to really appreciate the sunny ones. Don't let your funk be the catalyst that causes you to "take some time off" for a month. Try to listen to your body and realize when you need the rest, or when the old you is protesting, that this whole working out thing is too difficult.
And speaking of funks, summer is here...I wash my shoes in the washing machine about once every two weeks....it helps.....
MAKE this week a good week.

Nutrition Focus - Identify your vice.

Crossfit and Nutrition go hand in hand, you will find that out soon enough, if you haven't already. Your diet plays such a large role in how you perform in the gym, how you feel during the day, your level of energy.....your entire well being hinges upon what you put into your body. I see a lot of people take what I call the "balls to the wall" approach to their dieting when first being introduced to Crossfit. They hear about Paleo, decide to give it a try, and empty out their pantry of all things sweet and unhealthy, and replace it with expensive grass fed beef, and organic vegtables from Whole Foods. The entire makeup of their diet went from a Quarter pounder with cheese and a Coke each day, to spinach smoothies, lettuce wrapped burgers, almonds, and salmon at the drop of a hat. No more cereal, no more bread,......no more happiness. It is really hard to take a cold turkey approach to your dieting. More often than not, you will embark on that journey with full steam for the first couple of days, but when the fatigue sets in....the headaches....the cravings......thats when it starts to go down hill. You revert back to your old ways, the organic beets have gone bad before you had a chance to grimace at their "fresh" taste..and you are forced to start over again.
 I have been down this road, and have found that the strategy that worked for me went a little like this:
I knew that Paleo was the ultimate goal. I was around a lot of people that ate this way, and their results were nothing short of outstanding. So, with my goal set, I began to develop a road map to get there. Smart planning, realistic planning. I knew that to make this work, I would need to develop habits that were hard to break, thus I would have to start eliminating vices....Now when I say eliminate, I mean it...not quit cold turkey, but slowly decrease my consumption, until they are gone...
For example: My top vices were
Bread: I ate a ton of it without thinking..Tons of rolls, toast, sandwiches, pastries, donuts... you name it, I loved it, and ate it regularly.
Cokes: as I said before, I drank a lot of them. I would say at least 2-3 a day.
Fast food: I travel for work and with three kids, the convenience of fast food was just too great.
Alcohol: Its poison, plain and simple, I still will enjoy the occaisional cocktail every once in a while, but limiting has been one of the best decisions of my life.

Now that I knew my problem areas, I began to decrease my consumption of each. Cokes were limited to 1 a day for the first week, and then one every other day the following week, and so on.
Sandwiches were eaten with only one piece of bread...cut the one piece in half and stack that meat and veggies high! Hamburgers were eaten without a bun at all. (It really isn't bad at all....wrap it in lettuce, or just eat it with a knife and fork.
Fast food, was limited to "better choices" when I visited these carb factories. Chili from Wendy's was pretty decent....Chic Fil A has grilled chicken sandwiches and strips that are really good....Taco Cabana has some killer Street Tacos........Dairy Queen.....well dairy queen still sucks. (THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT TEXAS)
 The point is, you have to start somewhere. I followed these habits for a month and kept progressing, eliminating more and more, until Paleo seemed pretty easy. I took the time to read and listen to people about their nutrition. Luckily my wife was just as excited as I was. Having a spouse to join you on this journey will make it 1000 times easier and more enjoyable.
Focus and learn about eating right. I am going to tell you right now, these weight loss drinks, get slim quick schemes will not work. You might see quick results but you will gain it back. Make the decision to make a permanent change. If you want to try one of the 24 day challenge cleanses do it.....but don't be the guy that does it 3 -5 times a year. Use something like that as a jump start to your nutrition focus, not a routine.
More to come! But, if you are new to dieting and nutrition, focus on the above. One of the biggest obstacles I had was to process all of the information at once, trust me, there is alot of information out there for you to read. Crawl before you walk! Don't get overwhelmed, take it slow if you have to, but progress EACH DAY!

Who's Driving?

I have said it a couple times before, but  you determine what you get out of this whole CrossFit thing. So what drives you? Are you coming in with purpose, or are you coming in to say "Well, ....I crossfit" to prove that you are not sitting on the couch all day? Being a part of a supportive community is an awesome feeling, and it is a major thread that makes up the comforting blanket of Crossfit. But what keeps you coming? Is it the people, is it the competition, is it a combination? For most people it is both. It starts with a blank canvas. You come in ready to absorb all of the knowledge getting thrown your way. You rely on the supportive community to push you through the workouts, and for a while, just getting to the end is a great accomplishment. It is a great thing to finish something that you put all of your heart into. There comes a point, however, when you continue this trend, month after month, just getting through the workout, until at some point you are just going through the motions. You will continue to scale, because it is comfortable, and not for necessity. It is comfortable to do box pullups, and pushups on your knees. Unfortunately, staying in your comfort zone is something that is going to lead to a steady decline in improvement. The cheers of that first pullup, that first RX workout, are going to be for someone else. Don't let that slip away. I look at moments like a PR, or mastering a new skill, as a giant boost in motivation, it causes me to get that feeling back of completing my first workout. A feeling of hope and pride.

 But there is a trend that sometimes begins to happen....You begin to get too comfortable. The hour of your time at the gym is predominately used for hanging out. Being around people you like and share a common interest with. The reason that you joined in the first place, to get fit,  becomes a small light that is getting dimmer each day. I want to be real careful here, as I don't want this to be taken negatively. Coming to class each time is an awesome accomplishment. It takes a lot to come in and go through the hellish WOD. It is great to use the community and social aspect as the main reason you chose Crossfit over the globo gym up the street. But there is going to come a time down the road where justifying the cost of Crossfit membership just to "hang out" seems a little much.......and I don't want that to happen. You have to have all of the ingredients to make this work. If the recipe calls for bacon, you don't just skip it......you go find some bacon.
What I am getting at is, don't fall into the habit of just coming to come. I know you are going to have days, weeks where motivation is minimal. Trust me, well ALL go through it. But those times aside, find something that pushes you. Compete against a time from a previous class, compete against yourself. Find something to drive you!

The Traveling Crossfitter

As I sit here in a Coffee House in Enid Oklahoma, my computer in front of me; a spreadsheet of data has been minimized, and my blog has taken the forefront of my screen. At this very moment, I am debating on the ramifications of making a 45 minute drive to the nearest Crossfit Box to this area, or facing the collection of dumbbells and treadmills that await me at my hotel.
Traveling can throw a wrench into any one's routine, for some reason a warm hotel room is ten times harder to leave, than your own home... and where are you going to go anyway?? What kind of workout are you going to do on your own? There is no whiteboard in the hotel lobby telling you what the warm up is, or what the average wod times are...
I don't really enjoy traveling, I don't like being away from my family, and I don't like missing workouts. So what do I do, you ask? Well FACETIME has helped with the fam, that is for sure!

But what about your diet? What about your workout routine? Well I thought I would write down some tips to help some of you travelers out there.
When I find out about an upcoming trip to another area, I have found that planning ahead of time helps immensely. I will look for local affiliate Crossfit Boxes to that area  immediately. You can do this by google search, or by heading to Crossfit.com to search for an affiliate. The next step is to look at their website, find out their policy regarding drop in rates. In a lot of cases, I have found that many boxes will let you drop in for free, or with the purchase of one of their shirts.
I have been doing this for a couple of  years now, and the experiences and the people that I have met, have been so awesome. It is good every now and again to experience other boxes, different box layouts, other programming, new perspectives on Crossfit. It might be a little intimidating at first, I get it. The first time I went to a new box, I sat outside in my car, debating on driving off. I didn't want to get embarrassed. I didn't know what kind of warm up they were going to do, I didn't know if I could handle the weight......But I went in... and they were just as inviting as the people at my box.
I think that is why Crossfit is so unique...people might program differently, they might do different warm ups, but the people are the same. Different faces, but they are the same people. The same person struggling to get that first pullup, the same person pr'ing their deadlift and screaming at the top of their lungs...and the guy that takes his shirt off...he's in every box, trust me.....But that is what is comforting, you will soon see that almost every place you go, you will have that same sense of home at each location......it helps.
Diet is also a hard thing to maintain when on the road. Approaching a new location can prove difficult, but again,  planning makes everything easier. Search the restaurants in the area. I have found that a quick search will yield a lot of possibilities for you to eat healthy, and not succumb to the temptation of a quick bite at Mcdonalds. I always begin my search for a Whole Foods. You can find a ton of good options there, whether you buy groceries to take back to your room, or dine in....which is what I did this week in Tulsa.....

Turkey Meatloaf, black bean quinoa, and grilled asparagus salad....$8.00....jealous?
Grocery stores are my go to when on the road, deli meat, cheese, fruit.........they are a wealth of healthy options.
Restaurants like Chipotle, even Denny's can provide some awesome paleo options. The trick is, to search in advance!! It doesn't take long at all, I promise!
Next thing I want to cover is this.. Cant find a local affiliate close by? It is rather hard for this to happen these days, but it does. But don't let that stop you. The hotel you are staying in probably has a gym, their equipment might be a little foreign to you....no barbells, no rowers, no pullup bar. But they probably will have dumbbells, they will have something to get some cardio.. a treadmill, a bike, a stair stepper, and there is always room for burpees, situps, squats and pushups. There are tons of resources online for traveling crossfitters, do a quick search. Look at the equipment you have to work with, and make something happen. Get your heart rate up.

The Zombie Apocalypse and turning 80.

If you have been following my blog updates regularly, you will remember a little gem I posted, where I mentioned that I purchased an awesome Daryl Dixon shirt online. Well, as promised, here I am wearing said shirt with my wife below:

And as promised, upon receiving this shirt, I immediately removed the sleeves for dramatic effect. Now, don't go stereotyping me here, this is my first sleeveless shirt. I am a fan of the tank top, but homemade is not my norm. But I digress....If you have no idea who Daryl Dixon is, you do not offend me, he is one of the best characters on A&E's "THE WALKING DEAD". Now, this isn't going to be a post rambling on and on about how great the show is......it is great, if you haven't seen it, catch up, all the episodes are on NETFLIX. What I did want to cover, is the interesting relationship between Crossfit and the Zombie Apocalypse phenomenon........don't stop reading just yet, this is going somewhere, I promise.
If you have been in Crossfit long enough, you have seen the shirts "Crossfit....Preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse" or "Stop Crossfit, they would make horrible Zombies".....the sayings are growing in numbers, but why? Why is there this correlation to this terrifying, albeit highly improbable scenario?

I don't think that it is a bandwagon-esque type of thing, rather I see it as a comment on what Crossfit does for you. Think about if for a second....What does Crossfit teach?? Functional Movements....efficiently moving mass from one place to another......using our body as the machines, etc.....How is a toned physique going to get you out of a confrontation with a zombie? Its not... but if you are able to run, jump, climb, lift, and outlast one....you might have a chance!

Zombie examples aside, you will find that after coming to Crossfit for about a month or two, doing everyday activities becomes easier, squatting down to that low cabinet to get that mixing bowl, is now done with perfect form.....picking up your 2 year old when they come inside with a scraped knee is now done with a straight back...even getting down and up from the toilet is approached differently. I think that is where the Crossfit methodology can be proven ten fold. We are not here to sculpt our biceps all day, and on the flipside we are not going to run on a treadmill for 1.5 hours watching the latest mind numbing reality tv show. We are here to get overall fit...And what do I mean by that?

Well here is an example...I began Crossfit several years ago, as I have said, about the same time, I had some acquaintances that began their entrance into the  world of body building.Their results are nothing short of unbelievable, bodies sculpted and toned in ways I didn't know was possible. But how does that transfer to the real world? It is an interesting question. It is a question that I had pondered for quite some time. I have been working out just as long as these guys, yet I look nowhere near as impressive! The answer is in what you want out of your definition of fit. These guys have some of highest levels of dedication to what they do, and I respect that more than anything, but that is not what I want. I want to be able to be strong, and fast, and efficient, and able to move my body. I want to be able to climb something if I have to, to squat down to pick up my child, to carry someone in need, to train good techniques that will allow me to not have back pain when I am 80....Crossfit can do great things for you, both physically, and emotionally.

We aren't isolating muscles, and that is where Crossfit differs from traditional globo gym style workouts.  Compound exercises train multiple muscles, functional movements are the core movements of life, and life is much more unpredictable than sport, so if you were to be given the option to train for sport or life, which would you choose?

The point is, what you learn in Crossfit will stay with you, it's not something that you will look back on and say "Wow, I used to do that.....or Wow I used to look like that". We are preparing our bodies for the future so that one day you will be the one that says "Look what I can still do".... and that is worth more than you will ever know.

The speedbumps on the road to greatness

In my years in Crossfit, I have seen a number of people come and go. They came with the intention of making a change, and for whatever reason their path met a speedbump, they couldn't go around it, they had to press on, but they chose not too, and thus ended their journey.
Nobody told us about speedbumps on this superhighway to fitness, right???
It would be impossible to address all of the major "speedbumps" in Crossfit, but over my time, I have begun to notice the primary problems in men and women......and they couldn't be any more different..... Over time, I would like to address a few of them...
Testosterone is a good thing.....I have a bit of it flowing in me.....believe it or not.....and it drives me to compete, to lift weights.....to be a man....right?? But what does that mean.....being a MAN...grrrrrrr. In crossfit, you will find, if you don't realize it is only a designation of your anatomy, you will be shocked each and every day. Pride is a silent killer, let me tell you right now. As a man, coming into Crossfit, if you cannot accept the fact that you are going to get beat, get outlifted, get outlasted, by people smaller than you, by people older than you, and yes......by women...you are in for a bad time. The way I see it, a person's journey in Crossfit can go down a few different paths.....One in which they join a local box.....get their first reality check of where they are at with relation to fitness, and come the next day, ready to kill it. As days go by they struggle to make it to the top of the leaderboards,  times are not among the best, and they soon begin to sacrifice form to get the blue ribbon...the RX next totheir time. Over time you will see this person build strength, and appear to get better.. prs might come,  times are getting better......but soon you will see a plateau...injury will come, fatigue will set it....they're rounding their back....they're not working on flexibility, or mobility.
The other path that we, can travel is to join our gym eager to learn, to understand that there can be a 60 year old woman overhead sqautting more than you.....its a balance thing...you will find out soon enough. You must learn to check your pride at the door. To truely understand what your trainers are teaching you, and take the time to do it right, with correct form, this will lead to an incredible experience. Worry about what you are doing. Don't stress over somebody else's wod time, or weights. Being too proud to scale will catch up with you, I promise. There is a scale for everyone. Focus on form each time and I assure you it will show soon enough. The individuals that don't, will cease improvement and have to start from scratch. You determine what you get out of crossfit.

The admission

Thinking back to my so called "fat days", I think I finally realized the catalyst that allowed me to begin making positive changes.....I woke up from my slumber of denial, and admitted to myself that I was not the person I wished I was. It's a tough pill to swallow, something more difficult than eating right, jogging, lifting weights, etc. I used to live my life avoiding my own reflection, thinking of ways to pose for pictures that made me look slimmer, wearing black because I thought it camoflouged the body that I had neglected for so many years. I didn't want to admit failure just yet....deny, deny.
What is it about failure that is so scary? Is it really all that bad? How awesome would my first muscle up had been if I nailed it on the first try?? Nowhere near as exciting as it was after a solid month of practicing, and failing 100 times easily.

 "It takes a series of failures to really appreciate a success"....want to know who said that? --it was me. For future reference, I don't quote people. I said that to myself after my wrists were screaming from hanging in a false grip each day on the rings........, after I picked myself off the ground after another failed 135lb snatch attempt,........... after I tore my hands trying to get my first kipping pull-up. I said that, over an over . Did I believe it everytime?...No, but looking back on each success, each pr, each completed wod, I can say that the philosophy has been tested and proved many times over. I challenge you today to live without fear of
failure. Understand that it is going to happen, and there is nothing you can do about it. The key is, to change your outlook on what it represents. Failure can lead to great things. Set a goal, and go get it......seek inspiration, big or small, and don't fear the potholes on the road to success. Inspiration for today was thanks to Kid Kudi.

Distance is for the Birds.........a note on injuries

Well, my 10K experience wasn't all good... My foot is an incredible amount of pain to the point where I have resorted to crutches, which I haven't seen since I broke my ankle.......back in my skateboarding Xgames days......

So I have resorted to regular ice baths and a brace to help speed this recovery thing up. One thing you will find out about me is that I have grown to love working out......well maybe it's really just that I love to go to our box everyday, I enjoy the people, the atmosphere, everything about it. My frequent visits lead to eventually squeezing in a wod or two. With that being said, my foot has thrown a wrench into this. I went to the box yesterday with gym owner Ryan Schaefer, who is in the throws of a full Acl surgery recovery, we debated on something to do and settled on the following:
Bench 3x10 @ 155
Seated Db curls 3 x12 @40
3 sets of 1 muscle up with 10 ring dips at top
100 ghd
And I continued on with a 2 mile row @ 13:30
It built a pretty good sweat for sure. Now I am not telling you this to show you how impressive I am....that's why I put the weights above....discuss if you wish. The reason I am telling you this is because I find often that injuries, whether big or small, can lead you down many different paths. Some over do it, coming to workout each day on the same area that is hurt, thus, never allowing for proper healing. Another often traveled path is the one that leads to overreacting to the path of recovery. Now don't be so quick to judge......I fully understand the importance of recovery. You must let your body heal and repair itself!!!!!!
There, I said it, so don't crucify me for this next statement...
In some instances there is a scale that you can do, that will have no negative effect on the injured area. And the best thing is, there are Trainers at your box that can help you find such a scale. What I am getting at is don't fall victim to a simple injury leading to you quitting your routine. The longer you stay away, the more apt you will be to quitting completely. Foot hurts? work on arms. Arms hurt, work on legs. Use common sense and understand what your body is trying to tell you, not what that lazy part of your brain is telling you. And I don't mean that to be harsh at all. We all have that part of our brain that says "take the day off, and lets eat a box of cereal, and a slam a liter of coke" (and yes I said box....it was my regular routine) ......your guy might say something different, but that is what mine tells me each day......he's an asshole. You have to learn to differentiate between your body telling you that you are hurt, and your mind telling you that you just want to go back to being the old you.....the you that didn't work out....the you that didn't care what they ate.....the you that lacked the self confidence to walk into that box in the first place.
Take the steps to recover each day, whether it be from an injury or just the wod that you slayed that afternoon. Take an Ice Bath, Take Fish Oil, Drink plenty of Water, and come back, keep coming back,  the foam roller is calling you, want to spend an hour on it while others workout......do it. Its better than your couch.

10k???? How many 400's is that?

So this past weekend, at the encouragement of my father, I decided to partake in my first 10k. Up until this point the furthest I have ran is a 5k, which was a benchmark wod that we did at the box. The Cap 10k is a huge event in Austin every year. It's a race where runners come from all around to push their skeleton like bodies to the absolute limits. The people watching was worth it by a long shot. I had never been submerged in a sea of running culture. The fancy shoes, the short shorts, etc. I kept telling myself "these people take this way too seriously". I caught myself mid sentence and realized how hypocritical I was. At that exact moment, I was wearing a $30 reebok crossfit shirt, a $60 pair of lulus, and some minimalist new balances, (which btw was a horrible choice, my feet hurt so bad it forced me into a rest day today). How could I judge this culture of people, when I spend too much of my time subscribing to everything crossfit? It was a surprising moment that I caught myself in. To show you how A.D.D. I am, and the very next moment, I caught myself wondering what the people in the hotel, that the crowd of 30000 runners surrounded at the beginning of the race, were thinking It was 7 am, there were news helicopters flying over us, and a sea of people in the streets. If that isn't a zombie apocalypse scenario, I don't know what is........ Speaking of which, I ordered an awesome Daryl Dixon shirt, which came in the mail yesterday, which I immediately upgraded by cutting off the sleeves. I see some PRs in my immediate future. Pics to come soon.
But in summary, the race was a lot of fun, something I am proud to say I checked of my bucket list, and I got to do it with my Father, Sister, and brother in law. I can see how the conditioning from crossfit allowed me to push through that run with a little bit confidence. I think it is good to step out of your comfort zone when it comes to exercize and fitness. Keep your body guessing! Throw a wrench into your routine every now and then..........And if you were curious to know my time , it was a pr, and that's all that matters, right?

My Open Experience

So the 2013 Crossfit Open has come to a close. This is my 2nd year to participate in the Open and my results are nothing short of outstanding. I think they send a ribbon for 21218th  place, but I am not sure. I will be checking the mail regularly.

But in all honesty, I enjoy doing the open. For me it is something that I have begun training for each year. Each year I have had a goal. My first year it was to perform all of the workouts....simple enough...right?
This past year I took the open a little more seriously. I have been "frequenting" the gym for a while since we moved into our new digs here at Crossfit Liberty Hill. Being at a box that is literally 1 mile from my house, affords me the luxury of working out regularly. This, coupled with the fact that I have developed a want for competition has led to an increase in "training", if you will, for events such as this. Now did I think, for a second, that my scores would actually qualify me for anything other than a "nice job!" at my box by a fellow athlete?? Not at all. But what I did find out this year, is that it is fun to train for something. To give yourself a goal to work towards. In my mind I told myself that if I ate like I should, and trained regularly, our young box could develop a presence among those South Central Leaderboards soon enough. What if my goal became other members goals. What could we do then??
And whats the worst thing that could happen? We could solidify our spot at the bottom of the region, and be an extremely fit group of individuals? Not a bad consolation prize in my opinion.
What else did the Open teach me, you ask? It taught me a lot about heart. I saw members, who had next to no experience with Crossfit, dive head first into this competition. I saw them get their first chest 2 bar, a snatch pr, a first time Karen experience. It was awesome. You could actually see that moment happen when someone's animal instinct kicks in, and their fight or flight mentality is tested.
"Why should I sign up and pay for something, just to show how bad I suck? I asked myself that question 2 years ago, and will never ask myself it again. In my mind, for that period of time, I am competing for Regionals, I am competing for the Crossfit Games, and no matter what my score is, I will always be in the running, and when it is all said and done I look back at my experience and the knowledge and strength that I have gained over that period, and it is well worth doing over and over again.
So here's to the 2014 Crossfit Games Training Season.  Work starts today.
PS. Thanks for the text today , Rebecca!

A little introduction

So, for those of you that know me, I began my Crossfit journey, with my wife, Leslie about 3 years ago. It is a time in my life that I will never forget. I was at my heaviest (205lbs), unhealthy and unhappy. My wife, Leslie, and I had a great marriage with three beautiful children. With the three children, brought an additional 30 lbs of love to my midsection and face. It was a slow process, one I didn't even know was taking place. Even to this day, I look at the picture below, and don't recognize the guy in it.

I am not here however to ramble on with the "I don't know why I'm out of shape" routine. I own it. I was lazy, drank 3-4 sodas a day, and ate fast food regularly, and when I say regularly, I could eat Taco Bell and Mcdonalds in one sitting. But lets skip ahead.....

We had gotten to a point where we knew that we wanted to try this "working out" thing. I despised people that worked out. I hated hearing "I just got back from the gym" when I asked friends what they had been up to. But it was time to try........A failed two month membership at the YMCA, and a few P90x videos later, I was in the same place I began. My wife then heard of Crossfit, and decided to give it a try. I told her that I was tired of all of the fad workout crap and told her to do it alone. Insanity, Krav Maga, P90X, whatever, its not for me. Her first day came and went, and then the next, she wouldn't shut up about it......"Today at Crossfit......." "They are so nice there" I would just roll my eyes, imagining a place with shirtless trainers hitting on the new blonde girl, while I debate on a grilled stuffed burrito, or a nacho supreme, holding a Coke from Sonic.....you know, because Sonic Cokes are just better.

After about a month or so, I finally became intrigued. I signed up for my Elements and was absolutely terrified. My coach, Chad Vasquez, was my first introduction to Crossfit, and it was unlike anything that I had ever expected. He was so excited! Excited to tell me about everything Crossfit, and how this was going to work for me. But this wasn't a sales pitch,......it was actually genuine. You could tell this guy actually meant what was coming out of his mouth. The workout that he put me through was to this day one of the hardest of my life. A simple 500 m row, a 400 m run with a 10lb sandbell, and a few squats later, and I was physically unable to drive home......and no I am not exaggerating. I couldn't drive. I was wrecked..............

I was wrecked and hooked from that point on.....

So what is this blog all about??

I created this blog to document my Crossfit experience that I share with my wife, Leslie. I wanted to give people at my gym, Crossfit Liberty Hill, as well as others a view of Crossfit through the eyes of an average crossfiter on a week to week basis. Hopefully through this you can see how similar we all are. It gives me a place to vent, when my day sucks, as well as share with people my triumphs and the triumphs of our great clients. Crossfit has developed into something more of a hobby, or a way to keep in shape, it has become a part of my life in more ways that words can express.